huffingtonpost

In the 77th minute of a regular-season Major League Soccer match between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Seattle Sounders on Sunday evening, Robbie Rogers made history.

The 26-year-old midfielder entered the game as a substitute for the Galaxy, becoming the first active openly gay male athlete to compete in a U.S. professional team sport.

Rogers came out in February in an emotional note on his personal website. In that same post, he also announced his decision to "step away" from the game. With a smile on his face and the No. 14 on his back, he stepped back on to the field on Sunday evening. The crowd at the Home Depot Center welcomed him with a loud cheer.